‘Well then, have a nice day!’
Standing at the quest counter, Alina checked the filled-in quest commission and saw the adventurers off with a picture-perfect smile. There was no queue of adventurers waiting for their turn across the counter, which gave her ample time to process the forms quickly on the spot, without needing to put it off for later.
Alina took in the sight of Ifühl Counter. It was the day after the Belfla underground ruins were captured and the place had returned to its usual calm, the tempest of adventurers who had rushed in gone like the wind.
Sunlight streamed in through the skylight in the high ceiling and illuminated the spacious lobby. Adventurers gathered in front of the quest board that covered the entire wall, seriously considered which quest to choose, or eagerly exchanged information. Developed using the Ancestors’ technology, the latest quest board is an exceptional invention that continuously renews quest commissions and always displays the most recent information.
This was the view Alina wanted to see.
However, as soon as she confirmed that there were no adventurers waiting to be served, she put down the “currently on break” sign and retreated hastily to the back of the building.
‘I’ve done it again…’
Alina sat down on a chair, there to allow the reception staff to rest, and covered her face with her hands at her own foolishness.
‘Aahhh, I’ve done it again…’
A feeble voice escaped from her lips. Slowly raising her head, her eyes fell on the piece of paper clutched in her hand. It was a search request issued by the guild.
The request, asking for the search for a certain adventurer, was distributed to all receptions in the Ifühl metropolis early this morning and made its rounds throughout the city. The target is an adventurer of small stature, wearing a cloak, whose face and gender are unknown. Their weapon is a gigantic silver warhammer. Their name: “The Executioner”.
‘I’m such an imbecile.’
Alina hung her head again.
Certainly, the amount of quests commissioned reduced after the capture of the Belfla ruins. It was likely that she’d manage to work through the accumulated work within the next few days and be able to go home on time—but it came at a considerable price. The rumour of The Executioner who defeated the hellflame dragon solo spread like wildfire among adventurers, and to make matters worse, the guild requested the Silver Blades find her in order to appoint her as their vanguard.
This time’s overtime hell was simply too long, and being unable to bear it, she lost control of herself—this was the result.
Alina glanced over the golden license card she keeps concealed in her pocket.
Why does the receptionist Alina carry such an item? The answer is simple: so that she can defeat the the boss that’s causing her overtime and capture the dungeon, thus eliminating her overtime through brute force. If not for this first-rank licence card, not only would she not be able to accept quests for high-level dungeons, she wouldn’t be allowed to take on the boss solo, so she made one under a false name.
Well, they didn’t see anything conclusive. After all, I did have my face covered. It’s gonna be fine, it’s gonna be fine.
Despite convincing herself there was nothing to worry about, Alina let out a heavy sigh at the search warrant.
There is a reason why the Silver Blades were desperate to find a warhammer user to make her their vanguard, even though Ganz of the Atrocious Edge already filled that position.
‘Looks like the Atrocious Edge is retiring.’
Alina could hear a conversation between two young adventurers. They were unfolding a newspaper in the corner of the lobby and looking into it with rapped attention.
‘”…retired due to incurable injuries…” Must’ve been a nasty battle. Whenever I hear things like that, I worry about how long I’ll be able to keep on being an adventurer.’
‘Really? I’m thinking I might try to join the Silver Blades.’
‘Don’t even think about it. They’re all a bunch of freaks with transcendent skills.’
‘I can have my dreams, can’t I? Living in the best district in Ifühl, earning like crazy, getting popular with the girls just like Jade…’
‘In the first place, they won’t even entertain you if you aren’t at least a second-ranker. Instead of dreaming, why don’t you do something about that fourth-rank license of yours?’
‘Yeah yeah, spare me the lecture. More importantly, what about this guy! The Executioner!’
The young adventurer’s words made Alina stiffen for a moment.
He pointed at the paper, his face beaming, and began to champion The Executioner.
‘This guy beat a boss that even the Silvers had their hands full with, you know? Isn’t that sick? I wonder who he is?’
‘As far as rumours go, I’ve heard plenty ‘till now, but I never thought this “Executioner” was real.’
‘But Jade of the Blades said so, so there’s no doubt about it.’
‘Well, it looks like both the guild’s investigative and intelligence teams are out looking for The Executioner. They’ll find him soon enough.’
‘Ahh, I hope they find him soon. I wanna see what kind of guy he is.’
Alina breathed a pained sigh and stopped eavesdropping any further.
The Silver Blades? Outrageous. I can’t let them find out about this.
Alina clenched her fists and gulped.
Right, she couldn’t let them find out. Why? Because receptionists aren’t allowed to have a second job.
Receptionists must at all times be prompt and at their best condition in order to carry out their duties commissioning quests. Things like adventuring on the side are out of the question, of course, but if it got out that she made a license card under a false name and was defeating bosses, she’d be fired in a heartbeat.
The lure of working as a receptionist, which guarantees employment and a wage, is endless, even though overtime can be a living hell for a period of time. Put another way, it’s practically heaven in periods where you can go home on time.
The benefits are generous, earnings are stable, and it allows you to make plans for your future.
So what about adventurers?
Their armour and weapons break down easily and cost a fortune, the entire concept of “on time” doesn’t exist for them, and they spend day and night chasing monsters around. If they are seriously injured, they have to pay for treatment out of their own pockets. If you were to, for example, lose a leg, you’d no longer be able to make a living as an adventurer, and you wouldn’t be able keep your job. Their income is unstable, and the fear of one day becoming homeless is ever present.
Most importantly… Being a receptionist is the only job where you don’t have to worry about employment for the rest of your life!
For example, even if you managed to avoid the precarious job of the adventurer, this society is cold and unreasonable. If a business can no longer turn a profit they disband; if you under-perform, you get the sack; if your employer runs off into the night you can kiss goodbye to your wage—these things can happen in this world. There aren’t many jobs that offer you security for your future.
Receptionists, on the other hand, are civil servants. They will never run out of work, they won’t get the sack for poor performance, and their employer, the adventurer’s guild, is the foundation on which this city is built. There’s no way they’re going to run off into the night. Their future livelihoods are guaranteed, and they will be paid for the rest of their lives—that is the receptionist’s job.
That’s right. That’s why I became a receptionist!
Being a receptionist is one of the only professions which provides permanent employment.
Besides, the work is tough only for the time being, surely. One of these days there’ll be more junior staff, and if she entrusts them with the tedious tasks for which Alina has been responsible, she won’t have to be swamped with overtime ever again. If she manages to hold out until then, she’ll be able to spend her ideal receptionist’s life with a lifetime of stability.
I can’t let such a trivial thing end my life as a receptionist.
Crumpling up the search warrant, Alina made a firm decision.
